Toy detonator



(No Model.)

A. L. SEYMOUR.

TOY DETONATOR.

Patented Apr. 7, 1891.

IIVVE/VTOR Seym u? WITNESSES] UNITED STATES PATENT OEmcE.

ALLEN L. SEYMOUR, OF ORANGE, NEVJERSEY.

TOY DETO NATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 449,706, dated April 7,1891.

Application filed November 8, 1890. Serial No. 370,787- (No model.)

i To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALLEN L. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States,residing in Orange, county of Essex, and State of New J ersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge Exploders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cartridge-exploders,

the object being to provide an article to be used principally as a toy,the function of which is to explode blank cartridges. Devices of thiskind have before been devised; but so far as known to me theirconstruction is such that there is always more or less danger inhandling them by reason of the manner in which the cartridges areexploded.

The device I have invented is very simple and is adapted to fire anynumber of cartridges within limits simultaneously. The cartridges arefired by concussion with the ground and the charge is fired directlyagainst the ground, so that no danger attaches to the use of the Thedetails of the invention will now be described and claimed.

In the drawings,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improvedcartridge-exploder; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same; Fig. 3, aplan of the face of the hammer, and Fig. at a vertical section of amodification.

a represents, preferably, a circular block of metal having arrangedaround it in a circle between its center and periphery a series ofvertical holes or chambers a, which are of the right size to fit thebody of a cartridge-shell. On the lower side of this block there is acentral pin a the function of which will be described later on, and onthe upper side of this block there is an extended pin or shank a havingat its upper end an eye, in which may be secured the end of a string b.Upon this shank a is another circular block 0, which I call a hammer.This block has a central perforation,which fits loosely over the shank aso that it may slide freely thereon. The lower or inner face of thehammer is provided with a circular concentric offset 0', the diameter ofwhich is such that its edge just overlaps the inner side of the openingsat in the block a.

The operation of the device is as follows:

One or more blank cartridges are placed in the respective openings a ofthe block a, pointing downward, and are shoved in until the heads of thecartridges rest upon the upper face of the block d. Then by lifting thedevice by means of the string 1) to the height of one and a half or twofeet, and allowing it to suddenly drop upon a hard substance, theinertia of the hammer will drive the edge of the oifset 0 against theedges of the cartridgeheads with sufficient force to explode them. Thecharge of the cartridges, it will be observed, is fired straight towardthe ground or the object upon which the device falls, and therefore cando no harm. The pin a strikes first, and beinglocated centrally insuresthat the force of the blow shall be vertical and that all of thecartridges shall be struck with the same degree of force. It will alsobe observed that the circular offset 0 on the hammer permits of thefiring of any number of cartridges at a time, and although it is free torotate on the shank it will fire a cartridge when in any position.

Fig. 4: shows a modification in which the pin a is done away with andthe bottom of the block a made conical instead. This serves the samepurpose as the pin.

It is to be noticed that the chambers a, in the block are of uniformdiameter, and that they communicate directly and at a right angle withthe upper surface of the block, whereby the said chambers are adapted toreceive any ordinary shell cartridges. The usual flange of the shellrests on said upper surface and retains the cartridge in proper positionto be fired by the action of the offset 0' of the hammer. Furthermore,since the chamber or chambers a are located one side of the projection awhich strikes the ground, a lateral space under the block is left forthe escape of the gases, and thus the block will not be thrown upward bythe force of the explosion, as would be the result if the chamber werelocated at thecenter or bottom of the block.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, with ablock provided with a plurality of vertical cartridge-chambers extendingthrough it and having also a projection between the said chambers, of ahammer extending equallyover the said chambers, whereby a plurality ofcartridges may be exploded simultaneously.

2. The combination of the block provided with Vertical chambers forcartridges having a central projection on its lower side and a centralproject-ion or shank on its upper side, the said chamber being formed onone side of the center of the block, and the hammer mounted and adaptedto slide upon said shank, substantially as described.

The combination, with a block having a projection on its under side, anda cartridgechamber located in a vertical plane one side of theprojection, and having also a shank on the opposite side from theprojection, of a hammer movable on said shank, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALLEN L. SEYMOUR. lVitnesses:

FRANK S. OBER, EDWARD A. WAGNER.

